Spark-plug attachment



. April 19, 1927. 1,624,937

7 R. c. FLOYD SPARK PLUG ATTACHMENT Filed May 18, 1925 EZUZTTQW; Fgy 0, (y at til Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

ROY C. FLOYD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOB TO UNIQUE SPARK PLUG CLEANER 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPARK-PLUG ATTACHMENT.

Application filed May 18, 19.25. Serial No. 30,967.

01" fire which is the attachment, upon the end ot allowed to escape through and which then impinges the plug to be cleaned.

Generally stated, the object of the invention to provide an attachment Will-Cl} be screwed into the threade narily occupied by the spark the outer end of which both the necessary for the operation d socket ordiplug, and into spark plug of the engine and the holder "for the spark plug to be cleaned can be inserted.

It is also an object to provide a novel construction and arrangement whereby the i 1. 2111' drawn into. the CYlZIKlQI', through the spark plug cleaner, will not interfere with the operation ef the spark plug wh ich ism use on the eng ne and will not inrerrere with the ignition of the charge.

It is also an ob1ect to pro tails and features of construct (e certain deion and comhr nations tending to increase the general ethciency and the desirability of of this particular character. To the foregoing and an attachment other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter setforth and claimed, and

shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation or: a spark plug attachment embodying tne principles of the invention, showing the same screwed into the socket ordinarily occupied by the spark plug,

and showing said plug instea d screwed into the outer end of the attachment, and showing the spark plug cleaner also screwed into the top of plug.

Fig.

the attachment at one side of the 2 is a vertical section of said attachment and spark plug cleaner, showing a spark plug screwed cleaner. and showing the plug sary for the operation of the ted lines.

As thus illustrated, the

into the outer end of tie which is necesengine in dotattachment 1,

sometimes called an adapter, is formed with a relatively large threaded socket 2 to receive the spark plug 3 which i the operation of the engine.

s necessary for The top of the attachment is also formed with a relatively small threaded socket 4: into which the threaded end portion 5 of the spark plug cleaner 6 is inserted, so that the cleaner stands at an angle as shown.

Said cleaner has its upper portion provided with a threaded socket 7 to receive the plug 8 to be cleanee, and the sides of this socket have openings 9 as shown. The cleaner has a passage 10 lead ng from the socket- 4, to permit the jet of tire to escape and impinge age 'nst the edge of the spark plug 8, suitable valve 1,1 being provided for controlling said passage.- The lower portion of the attachment 1 is provided with a threaded boss 12 which can be screwed into the socket ordinarily occupied by the spark plug and a relatively large passage 13 which extends upwardly to permit the explosive mixture to enter and he ignited by the sparking action of the spark plug 3, so that the latter will function in the ordinary manner. The attachment lalso has a relatively small passage 1% leading upwardly to the socket l, and it will be observed that this passage 14 extends some distance below the lower end of the passage 13, whereby the air sucked into the passage 10 and socket 4 and passage 14 does not enter close enough to the electrodes of the plug 3 to interfere with proper ignition of the charge.

Thus the plug 8 is cleaned by the jet of fire produced by action of the plug 3, as when the charge is fired a jet of the and hot gases will escape through the passage 14 and through the passage 10 and impinge upon the end of the plug 8, thus burning oil the carbon which may have accumulated on the end of the plug. By use of the attachment 1 it is easy to, install the cleaner on the engine, in a way that does not necessitate dispensing with any of the devices on the engine. One of the spark plugs of the engine is simply taken out and inserted in the socket 2, as shown, and the attachment 1 is then screwed into the socket that was occupied by said plug, as shown in Fig. l, and with the valve 11 closed the engine will operate in the regular manner. When it is desired to clean a plug, the plug to be cleaned is merely screwed into the upper end of the cleaner, as shown in Fig. 2, and the valve 11 is opened to permit the escape of the fire and hot gases against the end of the plug to be cleaned, in the manner explained. While the attachment is shown in use for allowing the fire and hot gases to escape from the engine for the purpose of cleaning spark plugs, it is obvious that this escape of gases directly from the cylinder of the engine can be employed for any suitable or desired purpose.

Vithout disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is 1. Instrumentalities for cleaning spark plugs, comprising an internal combustion engine, means for permitting the fire and explosive pressure to escape from the engine, and means for presenting the plug to be cleaned to the impinging blast of fire which has escaped from the engine, said engine being operative to produce said cleaning blast of fire independently of the plug to be cleaned, so that the plug is cleaned while not operative to function as a spark plug, a socket piece screwed. into the opening ordinarily occupied by the spark plug of the engine, forming a support for said plug presenting means, and a spark plug screwed into said socket piece to ignite the charge in the engine, said socket piece having a passage leading to the operative spark plug, and an entirely separate and smaller discharge passage leading to the plug to be cleaned.

2. A spark plug cleaner comprising a hollow body having a passage to form a jet of hot gases and fire, and having an expansion chamber to receive said jet, in which the plug to be cleaned is inserted, adapted to hold the plug such a distance from the end of said passage that the jet of gases and fire will pass through said chamber and impinge upon the end of the plug, a socket piece adapted to be screwed into the opening ordinarily occupied by the spark plug of an engine, having a passage leading to the operative spark plug, and a separate and smaller discharge passage leading to the plug to be cleaned, forming a support for said hollow body, and providing a socket for the spark plug of the engine, said chamber having an outlet communicating with the atmosphere, whereby the impinging jet is free to expand in said chamber and finally escape into the atmosphere.

3. In a spark plug cleaner, means providing a passage to form a fluid jet of flame and gases for cleaning the plug, means for holding the plug a distance from the end of said passage and in position to have the jet violently impinge thereon, means forcontrolling said passage without disturbing the position of said plug, a socket piece to support all of said means, and means including an operative spark plug screwed into said socket piece, and independent of said plug to be cleaned, for producing explosive pres sure to form said cleaning jet, said socket piece having one passage leading to the operative plug, and having an entirely separate and smaller discharge passage leading to the plug to be cleaned.

4:. In combination with an internal con1- bustion engine, a spark plug cleaner mounted on the engine, having means to form a passage through which hot gases and fire and flame may escape from the cylinder of the engine, and having means for holding the plug to be cleaned in position to receive the impinging blast or jet of flame, said cleaner being adapted to receive ordinary spark plugs for cleaning purposes, another spark plug combined'with said cleaner to form a unit therewith, which unit as an attachment is insertable in the opening ordinarily provided on the engine for a spark plug, thereby operative to produce said jet of flame independently of the plug to be cleaned, said unit having one passage leading to the operative plug, and having an entirely separate discharge passage leading to the plug to be cleaned, and means for shutting off the discharge of flame while the cleaner is empty and not in use, and while the engine is running for ordinary purposes.

Specification signed this 15th day of May, 1925.

ROY O. FLOYD. 

